Did four juvies set a record for most cars stolen in a day?

Old-timers who bitch that young people today don't have enough ambition obviously never met four juveniles taken into custody early yesterday.

According to Lakewood Police Department spokesman Steve Davis, this quartet managed to swipe five cars before being busted -- and afterward, one of them asked if they'd "set a record for the most stolen cars in a day."

Well -- did they?

Davis posed that same question to members of the Jefferson County Regional Auto Theft Task Force, which is continuing to look into the crimes in an attempt to determine if the thefts were isolated incidents or part of a broader operation.

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"They were pretty sure there's been some jurisdiction where one person, or a group of persons, has stolen more vehicles in one day," Davis says. "But around here, we were unaware of having that many vehicles stolen in one day attributed to the same suspects."

That doesn't mean the four set out to achieve this goal: Davis says there's nothing in police reports to indicate it, anyhow. Whatever the case, he notes that "they've certainly amassed some pretty heavy charges they'll have to deal with," especially if the district attorney's office treats them as adults. (No decision about that has been made at this point.)

In the meantime, their possible Colorado car-theft record remains unofficial. Get more details from the LPD release below:

Four Juveniles Arrested, Five Stolen Vehicles Recovered

On 11-29-09 shortly after 4:00 am, Lakewood police agents were responding to investigate a possible motor vehicle theft in progress in the 9300 block of W. Iowa Pl. The caller informed dispatchers that their Dodge pickup was being stolen and that there was a red Jeep in the middle of the street. Both vehicles left the area prior to the arrival of police.

About ten minutes later, a Lakewood police agent observed several vehicles in a parking lot at 10322 W. Florida Ave. One of the vehicles matched the description of the stolen Dodge truck another was Honda Accord. The agent contacted a total of three juveniles from the two vehicles and placed them in custody. As additional agents arrived to assist they found two more vehicles in the parking lot that were running with their lights on however were unoccupied. Those vehicles were a red Jeep and a Dodge Caravan.

Further investigation determined that all four vehicles were stolen. Additionally, five other vehicles in the parking lot or near the original call were found to have been broken into. While checking the area a fourth juvenile was found hiding behind a vehicle in the parking lot, he too was placed in custody.

A short time later the Dodge truck that was originally reported stolen was located just east of the other stolen vehicles bringing the total of stolen vehicles to five.

The four juveniles were transported to a detention facility. The case has been forwarded to the Jefferson County Regional Auto Theft Task Force (JCRATT) for additional investigation. The juveniles face charges of aggravated motor vehicle theft, theft by receiving, conspiracy to commit a felony and may face additional charges. While being placed in custody, one of the juveniles asked if they had "set a record for the most stolen cars in a day."